Freight Train Hopping In Mauritania: 4000 Kilometers In A Cargo Carriage With Local Shepherds And Their Sheep

In the spring of 2016, I traveled to the Sahara desert to ride the legendary Mauritanian iron ore train. At a length of 2.5 kilometers, the train is said to be one of the longest in the world. The railway is Mauritania’s economical artery and a relict of her colonial past. Built in the 60’s by the French and later taken over by SNIM (National mining and industrial company), it has been operating for almost half a century, tirelessly transporting iron ore from the mines of Zouerat to the port of Nouadhibou.

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As there are no road connections between the two cities, people, their goods and cattle are allowed to travel for free inside the train’s cargo carriages. For a group of Mauritanian men, transporting food products and sheep is their full-time job. They travel between the mines and the port several times a week, enduring a tough 16-hour long journey through sandstorms, extremely hot days and freezing cold nights.

About the author

I am a traveler and photographer from Lithuania. Have been on the road or living in foreign countries almost constantly since 2011. My work has been exhibited in Erbil, Tehran, Bombay, Dubai and Vilnius. In 2016 I have become a member of the Lithuanian photographer's union. Striving to produce better images, find more exciting and relevant topics and bring my photography forward.